Method of making ornamental articles



Oct. 13, 1942. E, REgH METHOD 0F MAKING ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES Filed Jim 15, 1940 3nventor- ER W//v REACH Patented Oct. 13, 1942 METHOD or MAKING oitlN'AME'Nirlu.V

. ARTICLE Erwin Reach, Hoboken, N; J., assigner to Jacob `Firstenbergy doing business as Universal `Importing Go., New York, N, Y. Application .fune 15, 1940, 'Serial No. 340,644

A-3 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a method of-producing ornamental articles'.

One object of the invention is the provision of a method of producing from a plaster of Paris composition an article with a surface which is smooth and hard and capable of being polished to improve the appearance thereof and which is provided with an ornamental memberk of paper orthelike. n Y y i 'A lilrthr object of the ri'v'eritio is the provision f a 'method of Vmali-ing aplaque or other article `froin a composition including plaster of Paris and other ingredients whereby the article has a shioth hard surface which is Ornamented by attaching to Vthe article during the molding or casting thereof a Vpicture or other ornamental element of paper or other sheet material.

Another object of the invention is` to .provide an improved method or attaching the paper ele- 'ments tothe plaster plaques. l

The above objects ofthe invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will be fully understood from the .following description considered with reference to the accompanying l drawing.

In the drawing:

1 is a sectional -view of a mold and of a plaque formed therein in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a plaque produced in accordance 'with the method illustrated in Fig. 1.;

Fig. 3 is a sectional'view on the rline `343 of Fig. 2.

For producing the plaque or 'other article in accordance with the present invention there is utilized-a mold 'I0 formed preferably of stainless steel or other material inert to the action of the plaster of Paris or other ingredients of the composition or other substances utilized in producing the article in said mold. vThe inner surfaceV of said mold is preferably highly polished to provide the same with a very smooth and mirrorlike -nish. It will be understood that aftereach use of the mold for .producing an article therein said surface 'is repoli'shed whereby to renew said smooth and mirror-like nish thereof. A thin coating or 'film I2 of beeswax or similar material is applied to the polished surface of the mold, said coating of beeswax on said highly polished surface of the mold contributing to the provision of a smooth finish on the surface of the plaque or other article produced in said mold.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 the plaque I4 is provided with an ornamental insert I6, for example, paper or other suitable sheet material having a `and 2256 F. 'depending on the weight of the paper-.isy thus subjecting the paper insert to the 'action of thev water the paper is conditioned for effectively adhering' to the plaster of Paris composition, this treatment of the paper serving to open the pores of the paper whereby to allow the casting composition to penetrate between the Ylibres of the paper. After the treatment of said paper insert with hot water, said insert is removed from the water and allowed to cool to atmospheric temperature and while still wet said insertfs coated with a water solution of rgum tragacanth, said gum tragacanth solution having the consistencyof cream. The insert is then placed in the `mold or form' l0 in the proper position thereinwith the ornamentedside of the insert coated with said lrn of gum tragacanth solution in Contact with the coating of beeswax. 'The coating 'Il of gum tragacanth on the insert serves to hold the 'same in proper position in the mold .and in perfectly flat condition therein and in contact throughout its area with the flat surface of the mold, thereby to prevent air or other fluid bubbles between the insert and the mold surface. After the article is nished, the gum trag-acanth lm dries and is invisible on the insert. Also -as said fllm dries it becomes greatly reduced in thickness, whereby the outer surface of the insert lis Aolset inwardly from the outer surface ofthe plaque.

After the picture is properly positioned in the mold or form as described above, a solution of alum in wateris applied, preferably by spraying by means Yof :an air brush, on the inner surface of the mold over the coating of beeswax, and over. the back'o'f the insert, as indicated at I8 in Fig. l. The proportion of 'alum in water is abouti@` by weight of alum to about 98% by weight `of walter. The purpose of applying this substance'on the surface of the mold is to 'form on the outer surface of the plaque or article a dense, hard and smooth layer 20 of the plaster of Paris composition. Said surface is extremely hard and smooth and can be highly polished. Then, while the lm of alum is still wet, and while the insert is still wet the body portion 22 of the plaque is formed by pouring the plaster of Paris composition into the mold over said insert to an appropriate depth in accordance with the thickness of the plaque or other article produced in said mold.

Said plaster of Paris composition consists of plaster of Paris, Tabioco dextrin or similar dextrin and water, in the proportion of about eleven pounds of plaster of Paris, six pounds of Tabioco dextrin or similar dextrin and seven pounds of water. The dextrin reduces the porosity of the casting composition and contributes to the formation of the provision of arsurface which is hard and capable of being highly polished. In preparing the composition the water is preferably heated to about 90 F. or to some other temperature, then the dextrin or similar material is added to the water and finally the plaster of Paris is sfted into the water until it is completely dissolved. It will be understood that the casting composition is poured into mold I immediately after it is formed. This casting composition also preferably includes coloring materials or agents, the latter are inert to the ingredients of said composition. Said coloring agent is mixed therein in such manner as to obtain the desired effects, i. e., either solid color v or onyx effects depending upon whether the col.-

oring agent is completely mixed and uniformly distributed throughout the plaster of Paris composition or only partially or non-uniformly mixed therein whereby to leave uneven shadings or colorings which appear on the surface of the completed plaque or other cast article and impart thereto the onyx or marble appearance. Said coloring agent is preferably Water soluble or in a solution which is miscible or compatible with or soluble in water.

After the plaster of Paris composition is cast in the mold and hardens therein the edges of the plaque are trimmed and the latter is removed from the mold and placed in a drying oven which is heated to a temperature of about 165 F. The plaque is allowed to remain in the oven until it is semi-dry and then removed from said oven and exposed to air at room temperature to complete the drying or setting process. Thereafter, the surface plaque is polished preferably by subjecting the same to the action of a polishing substance and a bung Wheel. The outerv surface layer of the plaque being extremely hard, smooth and of greatly reduced porosity, by reason of the composition of the casting material and the action thereon of the alum solution in the mold, that said surface can be and is highly polished so that the plaque has a hard, smooth and lustrous or glossy surface similar to that of onyx or marble. The polishingv substance is preferably of the kind used for polishing stainless steel or other hard metals. Said bufflng wheel preferably consists of a plurality of circular layers of buing or polishing material separated from each other by cardboard disks which are smaller in diameter than the layers of buing material whereby to provide spaces between the layers of bufling material for the circulation of air. A similar buiiing tool is preferably utilized in applying the beeswax or similar material to the surface of the mold as described above.

After the polishing operation the plaque or other article I4 can have other operations performed thereon and other elements added thereto. For example, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4'3 a recess 24 is provided in the body portion of the plaque by removing a portion thereof in any suitable way as by drilling or milling the same from the body portion of the plaque to the desired depth, and any article, for example, a thermometer 26 carried by a mounting or backing plate 2B, can then be inserted in said recess 24 and secured in position in any suitable way, for example, by a close i'lt in said recess and by an adhesive. Also, if desired, another article, for example," a calendar 30, can be attached to the outer surface of the plaque. Also, as here shown, said plaque can be provided with a, hanger 32 which can be fastened to the plaque by inserting a hanger-forming element 32 in the composition in the mold as illustrated in Fig. l so that when the plaster of Paris sets said hanger-forming member is firmly attached to the plaque. Said member 32 can be formed of bendable sheet material so that the part projecting from the body portion of the plaque can be bent upwardly as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the invention can be readily accomplished as described above. It will be understood, however, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as hereinbefore specifically illustrated or described. Accordingly, I do not wish to be limited to the invention as herein shown or described except to the extent which may be required by the vscope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The method of making an ornamental article in a mold, which comprises wetting a paper ornamental member, applying a coating of gum tragacanth to the outer or ornamental surface of said paper member, positioning said paper member while wet in said mold, and disposing a layer of plaster of Paris casting material in said mold over said paper member.

2. The method of making an ornamental article in a mold, which comprises wetting a paper ornamental member, applying a coating of gum tragacanth to the outer or ornamental surface of said paper member, positioning said paper member while wet in said mold, coating the inner surface of the mold With a solution of alum and disposing a layer of a plaster of Paris casting material in said mold over said paper member.

3. 'Ihe method of making an ornamental article in a mold, which comprises coating the inner surface of said mold with beeswax, applying over said coating of beeswax a coating of alum, wetting a. paper ornamental member, applying a coating of gum tragacanth to the outer or ornamental surface of said paper member, positioning said paper member While wet in said mold, and disposing a vlayer of plaster of Paris casting material in said mold over said paper member.

ERWIN REACH. 

